Pará, Costa Rica. Waldorf teacher and special needs educator Olga Rojas Rodríguez from Costa Rica was at the conference for inclusive social development.
What projects related to social inclusion are you currently working on in Costa Rica?
In Costa Rica, the concept of inclusion is looking for ways to establish itself at the level of public, social, and educational policies. The anthroposophical perspective is completely new. I am Costa Rica’s first curative educator, having been trained at the anthroposophical Gita Center in Mexico. Four other people from Costa Rica are currently undergoing curative education there. I have been working with children with special needs since the beginning of this year. My places of work are the Waldorf-inspired art and learning center Diente de León and the Waldorf schools Casa de las Estrellas and Finca Mía. They are all located in remote regions.
What inspiration do you take away from the conference?
Participating in the fall conference, the creation of the new Section for Curative Education, and the multiculturalism of the people who came together and shared their experiences—all of this allowed me to broaden my horizon of possibilities around the topic of inclusive social development. I could see the paths that have been travelled in different places, I could see how paradigms have shifted over time and how many people there are who share the desire for all persons, with all their differences, to be recognized as valuable. I feel inspired to keep the magic and humor alive in what I do and to always be surprised by what can emerge in an encounter with another being.
What do you wish for in terms of social inclusivity in your country?
Although inclusive social development is a new topic in Costa Rica and in the entire Central American region, it gives me hope that there is a global network that accepts us, supports us and is a daily source of inspiration. This helps against the uncertainty of loneliness. I would like to contribute to the growth of this wonderful impulse in my country.
Contact rojas.olga2774@gmail.com
Translation Charles Cross
Image Olga Rojas Rodríguez with children from the Diente de León learning center, photo: Verónica Ares (Consent to publish the photo was obtained from the parents)
